Better In Theory (But The Results Remain The Same)
by DobbyRocksSocks
Summary: For Liza. Sirius opens a Cat Cafe. That's literally all. Oh, and Remus is there. Obviously.


**Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise. **

**Challenges listed at the bottom. **

**Word Count **\- 1640

_Written for Liza, for the drabble challenge - Wolfstar/"You're perfect." _

Beta'd by Ari

* * *

**Better In Theory (But The Results Remain The Same) **

* * *

"Welcome to the House of Misery. May I take your order?"

Remus blinked. "That's… not what is said outside."

"More fitting though," the man behind the counter said, rolling his eyes. "What can I get for you?"

"Uh. Just a cup of tea, please. Strong, just a splash of milk."

The guy nodded, and a few minutes later, Remus took the offered tea and set himself up at a window table, his laptop open in front of him. The coffee shop was relatively quiet, only a few people at a couple of other tables, and it was a great place for him to be around people without being forced to actually socialise.

"Have you been greeting people with the 'House of Misery' schtick again?" a man said as he entered the coffee shop. He was very clearly related to the man behind the counter, and Remus watched on curiously.

"Seriously Sirius, you need to stop doing that. You don't understand how bad it is for business."

Sirius snorted. "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand, Reg. Lighten up."

Remus turned back to his screen. Family drama wasn't any of his business after all.

…

Black Coffee House because Remus' favourite new haunt when he couldn't get past his writer's block. Which, admittedly, was very often.

It wasn't anything to do with Sirius, who happened to be both charming and cocky, and very handsome; a rather lethal combination.

The two of them _had _become friends of a sort, though.

Which was why, when Remus entered the coffee house to see Sirius' brother behind the counter instead of Sirius, he was confused. Sirius always worked the morning shifts.

"Is Sirius okay?" he asked Reg while the man made his regular tea order.

Face darkening, Reg replied, "He quit, so I have no idea. He just walked out on the family, like it meant nothing to him."

Remus took the tea and moved to his usual table, but he didn't open his laptop up. He was—probably unreasonably—hurt that Sirius hadn't told him of his plan to leave the coffee shop.

Maybe they weren't friends like Remus thought. Maybe Remus was just another customer to Sirius, someone to talk to while working away his shifts.

He didn't even finish his cup before he left the coffee shop.

…

"Remus! Oh my god, there you are! You're so hard to track down!"

Remus stared at Sirius for a long moment, frowning. It had been almost a month since he'd seen him, and he was almost entirely convinced that Sirius had forgotten all about him.

"Uh. Sirius. Why would you be looking for me?"

"Well, I never got your number or anything, did I? And then I left and I didn't know how to get in touch with you, and then I thought that maybe I'd be able to catch you on your way into the coffee shop, or out of it, but you were never there and—"

"But why?" Remus asked.

"Well… I mean. We're friends, right?" Sirius asked, and to Remus' horror, he looked _hurt. _

Remus felt like an asshole. "I thought we were but I guess, then you were gone, and I wasn't sure and I just… convinced myself that we weren't. I didn't realise you'd been looking for me."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Well, now that I've found you, give me your number so I don't _lose _you again!"

…

_I'm opening a cat cafe. _

Remus blinked at the text. Of all the texts he'd expect to get at 3am, that wasn't exactly at the top of the list.

_Why? _

_Why not? Cats are awesome. _

_I didn't think you enjoyed working in the coffee shop. Isn't a cafe the same thing? _

_CATS Remus! Cat's and food. And also, no family. It's practically perfect in every way. _

_Has anyone ever told you that you're a bit weird?_

_Psh! This is exciting. Be excited! _

Chuckling to himself, Remus shook his head. Sirius could be immature at times, but his enthusiasm was definitely infectious.

_Can you even cook? _

… _well. No. But… I can learn. How hard can it possibly be? _

…

Remus tried to choke the pie down, he really did. He wanted to be a supportive friend. But…

"Sirius, this is inedible."

Sirius was looking at his own plate with a look of disgust on his face. "Yes. Yes it is. How am I going to open a cat cafe if I can't do food?"

"You could hire someone?" Remus suggested. "And… maybe, with it being a cafe with animals in it, you should stick with baked goods? Just muffins, cakes, maybe toast or teacakes?"

"Cat bakery doesn't sound as cool though."

"You can still refer to it as a cat cafe," Remus assured him. "But you won't be calling it Cat Cafe anyway, will you?"

"No," Sirius admitted. "I was thinking Paws."

"Paws Pastries?" Remus suggested, his lips quirking up into a smile.

"You're perfect," Sirius said, eyes wide and smile wider. "Actually perfect. How did I live without you for so long?"

Remus snorted.

…

Despite Sirius being persistent in his attempts to get Remus to his new cafe before the grand opening, Remus had resisted his curiosity. He wanted to see it in all of its glory.

He did spend a rather amusing day helping Sirius deal with the people at the cat shelter, though. That had been a fun day, and the cats were, admittedly, adorable. While Remus was more of a dog lover, even he hadn't been able to resist the kittens.

Opening day finally arrived, and when Remus arrived half an hour before the doors were to open—his only concession to Sirius' begging—Sirius was practically vibrating with nerves.

Lily, Sirius' new baker, was inside already, and she waved at Remus through the kitchen door.

"This place looks great," Remus said honestly, looking around. It was soft, gentle, decorated in pastel colours right down to the mint green table tops.

Prongs, a tabby cat with a mischievous face, hopped up on the bench beside Remus and butted at his hand.

"It's flawless," Remus announced, smiling widely.

Sirius seemed to relax, and the tension drained from his shoulders. "Flawless enough for you to come here and write instead of other cafes, right?"

Remus nodded. "Definitely."

…

Lily Evans was a fantastic baker. Remus was pretty sure he'd be putting more weight on if it wasn't for the walk to and from Paws Pastries, given he was there and being fed her delicious food at least four days a week.

Sirius was thriving behind the counter, and it was beautiful to watch. While he'd been sullen at the Black Coffee Shop, here, he was vibrant and chatty. He seemed to be in his element.

"Moony, would you leave my tea alone?" Remus sighed, gently putting the cat that had been trying to sneak onto the table down onto the floor.

Since opening, Sirius had gained more cats, and Moony had instantly taken to Remus. Sirius had wanted to christen the little demon Werecat, since it was all fur and yellow eyes, but Remus had talked him down from that particular ledge.

"Remus!"

Remus looked up to see Lily in the kitchen. "I will owe you pastries for eternity if you get this shit out of my kitchen for a few hours!"

Sirius looked sheepish, but Remus could see the crumbs in the corner of his lips. It was closing time, and Remus chuckled.

"Come on, you reprobate, before Lily hurts you."

"Where are we going?" Sirius asked, grabbing his jacket enthusiastically.

"Where do you want to go?" Remus asked.

"Movie? Then dinner?"

"Sounds good."

…

"You do know that the two of you have been dating for months, right?" Lily asked, when she saw Remus frowning at Sirius talking to a woman at the counter. "He's very much not interested in her."

Remus blinked. "We're not—"

"You go to dinner, you go to the movies, and for the last month, you 'netflix and chill' at least three nights a week," Lily interrupted, rolling her eyes. "How are you _not _dating?"

As she walked back to the kitchen, Remus stared unseeingly at his laptop screen. They hadn't been… had they? No. Remus was too damaged for Sirius. He wasn't… cool, like Sirius was, or handsome, or… Sirius deserved the best, and that certainly wasn't Remus.

Remus was a struggling writer that couldn't seem to write past the third chapter in the sequel to his one successful book.

Closing his laptop, Remus packed up and left the shop, ignoring the sound of his name behind him.

He just… needed a minute.

…

_Remus, tell me whats wrong. _

_Please. _

_Remus? _

_Why are you not answering me? _

_Did something happen? _

_Are you okay? _

_Please let me know that you're okay, Remus. I'm worried about you. _

_Okay, Lily said that you're just struggling with a revelation. _

_Whatever that means. _

_What does it mean? _

_Remus? _

…

"Hi."

"Remus!"

Sirius rounded the counter in seconds and tugged Remus into a hug. "You're not allowed to ghost me like that! I was worried about you!"

"Yeah, I'm sorry. I suck. I just… Sirius?"

"Hmm?" Sirius stepped back, watching Remus with concern.

"Are we dating?"

Sirius blinked. "I… erm. Well. I was kinda, working up to that, you know? Like… I was platonic dating you before I actually dated you— or tried at least—so that you'd see that I'm actually okay and—"

"Platonic dating me?"

"Well. Yeah. So that you could see I'm a good date. But, uh. Well. The theory sounded much better in my head, you know?"

Remus couldn't help it, he started chuckling. "I didn't realise we were, um, platonic dating but… how about we try a non-platonic date?"

"Really?"

Smiling, Remus tugged Sirius forwards and pressed a kiss to his lips. "Really."

* * *

**Written for: **

Assorted Appreciation - 17. "Has anyone ever told you that you're a bit weird?"

Trope - 15. Exciting

Space - 19. Damaged

Angel's Arcade - 13. "Welcome to the House of Misery. May I take your order?"

Basement - 17. "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand."

Wandmaker - 14. Ebony (Flawless) / 3. Phoenix Feather - (Remus Lupin)

Build A Bear - Sound - 7. Best Friends - Persistent

Sci-Fi - Costume - Cat Costume - Cat

Game Night - Truth: Mint

Mythology - 8. Eternity

Pop Figure - Scarlet Witch: 2. Immature / 4. Lily Evans

365 - 365. Flawless


End file.
